Draft key retainer locking device



Feb. 3, 1953 M. s. JOHNSON 2,627,198

DRAFT KEY RETAINER LOCKING DEVICE Filed NOV. 1B, 1948 22 INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 3, 19573 UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE DRAFT KEY RETAINER LOCKING DEVICE Malcolm S. Johnson, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Illinois Railway Equipment Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application November 18, 1948, Serial No. 60,765

1 Claim. l

My invention relates to a lock for the retainer pins of the draft keys of railroad car draft rigging whereby the pins will be locked in place against accidental removal without, however, in any way interfering with the free and proper movement of the drafts keys, or to `come into undesirable contact with the draft sills of the car. rThe invention contemplates pin locking means adapted to take the place of the usual cotter pins which, during car operation, become battered and broken, causing frequent displacement or loss of the draft key pins; the invention having for its object locking means formed to provide full bearing on the retainer or pin and possessing great strength adapted to eliminate `certain objections encountered in pin locking means at present in use.

These objects and the advantages of my irnproved locking means will be readily comprehended from the following detailed description of the accompanying drawing wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved draft key retainer orpinlock.

Figure 2 is an` outer end elevation looking toward the tail endof the key which is shown in dotted lines as also is retainer pin.

Figure 3 is a side elevation shown applied to the tail end of a draft key, with retainer pin in place and the pin locking element in initial nonlocking condition and-its locking position shown in dotted lines.

Figure 4 is atop plan view showing theretainer pin in place and the lock in position, as shown in Figure 3.

My improved retainer lock is designed for easy application to the conventional draft keys of railroad car draft rigging whichs-arranged between the usual center sills of railroad cars. The car sills and the usual Vyoke members of the rigging are provided with suitable horizontal slots for passage of the draft keys I5 therethrough; the slots being of length somewhat greater than the `usual `width of thekeys 4I5 to permit proper play and operation of the springs of the draft rigging. As the rigging` forms no'part of my invention, illustration and `description of the rigging element is not necessary. The shank of the usual coupler is movably held in place by meansofthedraft keys, the tail end whereof is shown at I5.

The draft keys` are heldl-in place by means of suitable pins Iii` provided -with suitable `elongated heads II `which `rest `o`n top Vof the draft keys fwhe'n in operative position, `while 'thelower lends of the pins are cross-drilled to receive a suitable cotter pin as indicated at I8 in Figure 2.

During operation of the cars the retainers or pins I6 are caused to oscillate and have slight up and down play due to the constant shifting and vibratory movement of the draft gear elements. As a result of this shifting movement, the cotter pins soon become battered down or sheared off freeing the draft key `holding pin IB, allowing the latter to move upwardlyand finally to become displaced from the key I5 and lost. Furthermore, it has been found that where the retainer pin is permitted to rotate freely its elongated rectangular head II becomes so positioned that it contacts the `draft sills of the car and limits the travel of the draft key. Draft keys are frequently of different lengths and hence where the pin is free to rotate and becomes improperly positioned, the head of the pin is subjected to the slaps encountered at curves in the track, causing the head to be sheared off and allowing the pin or plug to drop out of the draft key.

This not only results in difliculties and expense but frequently results in the draft keys working loose and lost, resulting in serious draft rigging derangement, permitting the draft rigging elements to drop down on the track and cause derailment.

In order that the use of cotter pins .may be dispensed with and the draft key holding pins securely locked inplace andheld against 'vertical travel and complete rota-tivem'ovemerit, the herein described pin locking means has been devised, consisting of a single piece clevislike member or body portion I9 preferably formed of high tensile, wear resisting steel, pressed or formed to provide the two substantially similar upper and lower jaws 20 and 2l. These jawlike portions 20, 2| are of substantial Width to provide ample bearing surface on the upper and lower faces of the draft key I5. The portions 20, 2I are united by the verticallydisposed and somewhat narrower portion 22 which preferably is provided with a vertically extending corrugation or rigidifying surface or rib as at 23 which extends about the bend and merges 'into the substantially fiat platelike upper and lower portions 20, 2i, as shown at 24 in Figure 1. The jawlike portions 2o, 2I forward of the merged corrugation and rearward of their ends are provided with registering pin receiving openings 25, leaving unsevered ends 2,6 asbest shown in Figure 1.

In order that 'thelocking nieans'remain. within accrues certain dimensions and also provide greater rigidity for the inner ends of the jaw portions to resist any battering contact that may be encountered during service and likewise assist in positioning and holding the pin-head ll, the ends 26 of the top and bottom jaws, respectively, preferably are bent upwardly and downwardly, see Figures l and 3.

As is apparent, the body element of the device consists of a single piece unlacerated member` which affords full bearing on the key and formed of high tensile steel possessing considerable strength adapted to resist any lacerating or tearing strains encountered during the shifting movements of the draft key.

The upper jaw portion 29, rearward of its `pin receiving hole 25,y is provided with the pin locking member 27, preferably formed of more ductile material than the body member to permit easier bending and hence affording longer life. The locking member 2'! initially consists of a preformed right angular plate whose rear end or base j portion 28 preferably is of substantially the same width as the top jaw 2Q of the body member i9 and lengthwisely dished to conform with and match the rigidifying rib of the body member. This base portion 28 of the locking member is intimately connected to the body member I9, as for example by spot welds as shown at 29.

The forward end of the locking member consists of the upstanding leg or portion 30 which preferably is made to gradually taper toward its free end or top and thus enable easier bending` of the upper -end of the leg when the device is being applied to the draft key retainer or pin.

As shown in Figure l, the upstanding leg te of the locking member is arranged rearward of and adjacent to the pin receiving hole 25 in the upper jaw of the clevis or body member and hence will be in juxtaposition with one of the longitudinal sides of the pin-head I? after the retainer orV pin it has been inserted through the openings in the body member i@ and the draft key iii, as shown in Figure 3. The opposite longitudinal side of the pin-head will extend parallel with the upturned end 26 of the upper jaw 29 of the body member I9, as more clearly shown in Figure 3. As a result independent rotative movement of the pin will be prevented and the pin-head maintained in position for flexing or bending (by suitable hannner` blows) the upper end of the upstanding leg 3F] across the top of the pin-head E7 as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. y Y

The device is slid lengthwisely onto the tail end of the draft key so as to bring the holes25 in the two jaws into register with the opening in the draft key; the retainer or pin l is then inserted through the registering openings with the pin-head positioned as shown in Figure 3. By means of suitable hammerblows the tip or upper end of the locking leg 3i), which extends above the pin, is iieXed across the pin-head I'I (see dotted lines in Figure 3), thus securely holding the pin against vertical movement.

It has been found advisable in actual service that the draft key receiving body member i9 and the pin locking member 2l, in View of the different conditions encountered by each, be constructed of metal possessing diiferent characteristics; for example that the body member, which is subject to more or less strong impacts or blows through sudden contacts with the draft rigging and/or car sills, be made of high tensile wear resisting material or steel to afford ample strength;

while the pin locking member be of more ductile ,steel or material to permit easier bending (an operation which must be repeated whenever the draft key is to be removed or replaced) and at the same time possess longer life. In order to obtain these qualifications, it is apparent that the clevis-like body member and the pin locking member must be fabricated from initially separate pieces of steel. However, in order to eliminate the possibility of loss or misplacement, the railroad maintenance ofhcials prefer the use of a structure in which the body member and the pin locking member are intimately united into a single unit.

I am aware of adraft key pin locking device formed from a single piece of sheet steel, provided with upper and lower jaws each of which is lanced or out out fromV the ends to provide pin receiving open-sided passages and with the partially sev ered metal of the upper jaw (produced by lancing the jaw from the outer end rearwardly) bent upwardly to provide a pin locking tongue; the entire devicel consisting of a single piece of steel possessing one and the same characteristic throughout. In actual service it was found that the cut or lance at opposite sides of the locking tongue resulted in the metal tearing at the base of the tongue and thereby lowering the eiciency of the device or rendering it unfit for further use.

`My present device is designed to eliminate these objectionable conditions and possessing greater strength. Constructing the lock member from a separate piece enables the lock member to be of greater width, substantially the width of the body member, at the base of the upstanding locking tongue, namely at the bending line of the vertically disposed pin-head engaging portion.

Furthermore, by constructing .the pin lock member separately as heretofore stated, lancing of the jaws of the body member is eliminated and the pin receiving holes in the jaws are completely circumscribed by a considerable area of metal which affords greater strength and full bearingon the retainer or pin and at the same time permits the forward or free marginal portions of the jaws to be bent upwardly and downwardly, respectively, into vertical flat faced vertical impact resisting portions.

In keeping with A. A. R. requirements, as a matter of extra precaution, I have illustrated the pin I' provided with a hole to receive the cotterpin I8 (which in my device is protected bythe downwardly bent flange or end'26 of the lock), but it will be understood that with my improved retainer the need for a Cotter-pin is eliminated.

I have shown and described what is believed to be the best embodiment of my invention, but modications are possible without, however, departing from the spirit of my invention as dened in the appended claim.

' What I claim is:

A draft key retainer locking device comprising in combination with a draft key retainer having an elongated flat sided head, a single piece body member of wear resisting fiat sheet steel formed to provide an upper and a lower vertically spaced flat-faced jaw adapted to receive the tail end of a draft key therebetween and effect Wide bearing relation therewith and provided with retainer receiving holes removed from and entirely circumscribed by the flat marginal portions of the jaws,` the outer ends of the jaws being bent to provide upwardly and downwardly disposedV impact-resisting flanges coextensiveV with the width of the jaws and disposed at the inner side of the retainer with the flange on the upper jaw adapted to extend ush with the elongated flat side of the retainer-head to pro- 5 vide a wear surface and prevent independent rotative movement of the retainer While the flange on the lower jaw extends parallel with and adjacent the shank of the retainer to absorb draft sill impacts; the jaws at one end of the device being united by a rigidied neck portion adapted to receive the apertured tail end of the retainer; and a separate piece retainer L-shaped locking member of ductile metal With a Wide base approximately the Width of the jaw member and intimately secured on top of the upper jaw intermediate the retainer receiving hole therein and said neck portion with the unattached end of said member disposed upwardly a slight distance removed from said retainer receiving hole and of lr height sucient to permit its upper end to be bent over the retainer head.

MALCOLM S. JOHNSON.

6 REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,473,177 Coyne Nov. 6, 1923 1,538,559 Johnson May 19, 1925 1,628,119 Cooke May 10, 1927 1,679,420 Harbert Aug. 7, 1928 2,029,868 Harbert Feb. 4, 1936 2,056,269 Harbert Oct. 6, 1936 2,112,807 Cooke Mar. 29, 1938 v 2,345,141 McMullen Mar. 28, 1944 2,368,544 Hogan Jan. 30, 1945 

